By Amaechi Agbo

Nigeria’s national Senior Men Handball Team otherwise known as the ‘Golden Arrows’ will begin their 25th Africa Men Senior Handball Championship against top rated side and ten times winner, Tunisia today.

Potentially a tough match as Tunisia have always gotten to the final of the championship since the 1992 edition in Ivory Coast, winning ten titles, however, the Golden Arrows, despite the fact they do not have Nigerian government’s support going into the championship, believe that they can penetrate the North Africas hold their own.

The team made up of 16 players as well as officials left the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport on Friday and landed hours later in Cairo, the capital of Egypt.

The 25th edition of the African Men’s Handball Championship, which begins from today through to the 19th July 2022, will serve as the the African qualifying tournament for the 2023 World Men’s Handball Championship in Poland and Sweden.

Coach Rafiu Salami said the Golden Arrows will ensure that they make Nigeria proud with the goal of getting a ticket for the world championship.

“The last time Nigeria qualified for the World Championship was in 1999 and I was a member of the team at the time” Coach Rafiu said.

“This time around we want to make sure we do well enough to get the ticket for the world championship in Poland next year and we will start with this championship,” he said.

The Handball Federation of Nigeria has given us everything they can with the level of sponsors that they got to make this trip possible and despite the odds, we will do our best in making Nigeria proud” Coach Rafiu concluded.

Nigeria will play Tunisia on Monday in their first match of group C at 12:30pm Nigeria time while they play Cape Verde on Tuesday at 8pm.

Nigeria has participated in eleven editions of the Africa Men Handball Nations with their best outing recorded in the 1998 edition held in South Africa wherein they finished 4th after losing to Egypt 35-26.

Final Team List For Golden Arrows

1.Oladunjoyn Adamolugbe
2.Sanni Bature Muhammed
3.Michael Solomon Agbaji
4.Kingsley Okubuike Ifenna
5.Christian Ogedemgbe
6.Obinna Anih
7.Rotibi Gbenga
8.Stephen Sesugh
9.Joseph igwekire
10.Yusuf Farouk
11.Anas Muhammad
12.obinna Patrick
13.Aminu aliyu
14.Atabo Abubakar
15.Cole gbenga
16.Owolabi Yahya